"The late Sen. Robert C. Byrd once said, 'The test of a great country such as ours is how serious we are about protecting those among us who are most at risk ... Those men and women who bravely labor in such dangerous occupations as coal mining to provide our country with critical energy should be protected from exploitation by private companies with callous attitudes about health and safety.' Unfortunately, our country is failing Sen. Byrd's Test."

"Investigators arrested a suspect but were still searching for a motive Wednesday after a West Virginia sheriff known for his tough stance on drug dealers was shot dead in his patrol vehicle. Mingo County Sheriff Walter E. 'Eugene' Crum was eating lunch just blocks away from a courthouse when he was gunned down, officials said."

"Coal from the Appalachian region has really fallen out of favor in the United States. So much so that Wyoming mines accounted for nine out of the 10 top producing mines in 2012. This should come as no surprise to coal investors since the Powder River Basin is the most economically sensible coal to produce right now as compared to natural gas."

"Coal production in Kentucky last year reached its lowest level since 1965, while shedding more than 4,000 jobs, nearly all of them in Appalachian counties, according to a new state report.Eastern Kentucky coalfields took the largest hit, with production dropping 27.6 percent — extending what state officials fear may be a long-term trend."

"Kentucky law will now allow industrial hemp farming - but only if the federal government ever lifts restrictions on the plant...Kentucky is now the ninth state to open the door to hemp farming, according to a December report from the Congressional Research Service. A federal bill to legalize industrial hemp is pending in Congress. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said in March that he will ask the federal Drug Enforcement Agency to give Kentucky and other states a waiver to cultivate the plant."